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Ultrasmooth Polydopamine Modified Surfaces for Block Copolymer Nanopatterning on Flexible Substrates
Joon Hee Cho1, Reika Katsumata1, Sunshine X Zhou1
1McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin , 200 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas 78712, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 5, 2016
Summary
Polishing polydopamine (PDA) coatings with sonication creates smooth surfaces for block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterning on soft materials. This enables defect-free nanostructures on flexible, low-energy surfaces for advanced manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nature utilizes catechol-containing adhesives, mimicked by polydopamine (PDA).
- Block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterning requires smooth, functionalized surfaces.
- Conventional PDA coatings are often too rough for BCP applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for creating smooth PDA surfaces for BCP nanopatterning on soft materials.
- To enable the formation of well-oriented BCP nanopatterns on diverse soft substrates.
- To overcome limitations in current surface modification techniques for nanomanufacturing.
Main Methods:
- Synthetically mimicking nature's adhesives using polydopamine (PDA).
- Polishing PDA-coated substrates via bath sonication in a weakly basic solution.
- Grafting a neutral polymer layer for perpendicular BCP orientation.
Main Results:
- Achieved a conformal, smooth (RMS roughness ~0.4 nm), and thin (3 nm) PDA layer.
- Successfully formed perpendicularly oriented lamellar BCP nanopatterns.
- Demonstrated nanopattern stability on flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates under bending.
Conclusions:
- Sonication-based polishing of PDA coatings provides a viable route to smooth surfaces for BCP nanopatterning.
- This method facilitates nondestructive, plasma-free surface modification of soft, low-energy materials.
- The technique supports high-throughput, roll-to-roll nanomanufacturing applications.
